Clocking up the air miles between Coventry and Dundee is quite a distance to travel to work.

Hamish Glen is becoming increasingly familiar with the route as he regularly tackles the 800-mile round trip to prepare for his new job.

He takes over as artistic director at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry next March and will be handling the massive #9 million redevelopment of the city venue.

He?s been rushing around meeting architects and chatting to theatre staff, but is also still heading things at Dundee Rep and preparing for their big Christmas show, The Night Before Christmas.

?It?s quite a distance to commute,? he agrees with a chuckle. ?I?ve flown into Coventry today and I?ve got to be back in Dundee for a 10am meeting tomorrow. There?s a lot to do, but I?m looking forward to the challenge. The time is right for a change.?

His departure from Dundee after 12 years has led to Hamish being splashed across the front pages of the Scottish press.

People have been stunned that one of Scotland?s leading directors is leaving and there are fears it could lead to an exodus of Scottish talent to England.

Frustration about lack of funding, investment and support for the Scottish arts scene is high, and Hamish has been campaigning tirelessly for recognition from the Scottish Executive.

He is now stepping down as chairman of the Federation for Scottish Theatre and fears there are difficult times ahead for Scotland?s arts world.

?There?s a bleak scenario up there at the moment,? he says, ?The Scottish Executive is not investing in the same way in the arts that they are down here and it?s very disappointing for people.?

Hamish himself grew up in Edinburgh surrounded by the lively arts scene of the Edinburgh Festival. The older brother of stage and film actor Iain Glen, he originally trained as a lawyer before deciding to quit for the theatre.

?I used to take my entire year?s holiday in one go and work at the Edinburgh Festival as crew for Traverse Theatre,? remembers Hamish. ?Then they offered me a job as assistant stage manager and I simply gave up being a lawyer. I?ve never looked back.

?I think the lawyers office was happy to see the back of me. Let?s just say they didn?t put up a big tussle to make me stay.?

His career at Dundee Rep has been marked by many landmark productions from Cabaret to The Seagull directed by Lithuanian Rimas Tuminas.

He?s created an ensemble company of actors and his last four productions have all been nominated for Barclays/TMA awards.

Hollywood superstars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman also offered to become patrons of the theatre three years ago. Hamish?s brother Iain had worked alongside Nicole Kidman in a theatre production of The Blue Room, and the couple later got in touch offering to lend their support to the theatre?s refurbishment campaign.

Hamish has also been invited to take part in the Toronto Festival and to take The Winter?s Tale to the Iran Cultural Festival in Tehran.

Coventry audiences will be able to see Hamish?s first theatre season at the Belgrade in the autumn, but he says: ?There won?t be any overnight radical change. I?m not going to jeopardise existing audiences and the work that they do here.

?I?m not going to blow that up. I am looking to do more in-house shows, maybe five or six a year, and redress the balance a bit, but I want to take my time and get a feel for the city and the community.? He adds: ?There is a lot of refurbishment to be done and I want to focus on the whole customer experience. I?m not just talking about the foyer, bar and restaurants. I?m talking about the main house work.?

The married 45-year-old director has just overseen a #3.4 million refurbishment at Dundee Rep.

?It?s all spanking brand new now and I?m leaving and starting all over again,? he shrugs.

?I?ve done all the hard work and it?s time to start again at the Belgrade.?

Dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms and a second studio are all top of the agenda and Hamish plans to speak to theatre staff and theatre-goers for their views.

The multi-million pound plans will take an estimated three years to complete and architects have just been appointed for the project.

?There are a lot of similarities between the Belgrade and Dundee Rep,? points out Hamish. ?Dundee is smaller, it?s only a 450-seat venue, but they both play a major part in the fabric of the city and try and serve a whole range of audiences. They are also both modern buildings and are both in the heart of the city. There?s going to be an interesting time ahead in store.?